The health benefits of hemp seed and hemp oil

First lets start with dispelling the popular myth .... hemp is NOT marijuana. They are different varieties of the Cannabis family. The main distinction between the two is the level of the main psychoactive active ingredient in marijuana Tetrahydrocannabinol otherwise known as THC. Marijuana has a high THC level of between ten to twenty percent, while hemp has less than one percent THC. The best analogy I have heard is that they are no more alike than a poodle and a wolf which are both members of the Canine family.

At the turn of the century Hemp was the most widely used crop in the entire world. It was used for everything from sails and cordage for ships to lamp oil. As a matter of fact the word canvas is Latin for hemp. Hemp was outlawed in 1937 due to a greed based smear campaign conducted by the newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, and the DuPont Corporation. It was no coincidence that hemp was outlawed two years after DuPont invented Nylon in 1935.

Although people are becoming aware of the difference between hemp and marijuana, it is still illegal to grow hemp in the U.S. All hemp used in food and other products must be imported. Canada is the largest producer of hemp seed, while China is the largest producer of hemp fabric. There is a heavy import tariff placed on hemp, which is why hemp products are so expensive.

Hemp seeds contain a nearly perfect ratio of Omega 3 to Omega 6 essential fatty acids for the human body to assimilate. They also contain all essential amino acids which are the building blocks of protein. Hemp milk provides an excellent alternative to cow and Soy milk and contains no fat. There is a growing concern about the safety of Soy products as eighty percent of the Soy grown in the U.S. is genetically modified and heavily sprayed with pesticides and herbicides. Hemp needs little to no fertilizer and zero herbicides or pesticides which makes it a wonderful alternative to other pesticide laden commercially grown crops.

You can find hemp products at just about every supermarket now, and a growing number are carrying hemp milk and hemp oil as well. If your favorite store does not carry hemp products, do your family and community a favor and speak to the manager requesting healthy hemp products. My favorites are Natures Path Hemp Granola and Pacific Hemp Milk. I also use Nutiva Hemp Oil. Its great instead of Olive oil in salad dressing or added directly to soups or pastas. When using hemp oil, you do not want to heat it....so put it on food just before eating and store it in the refrigerator.

Enjoy some hemp today, your body will thank you.

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